CHANGED FROM GLORY TO GLORY 

2 Corinthians 3:18(KJV)

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Paul the apostle wrote these words in his second letter to the church in Corinth—a church he founded a few years earlier (Acts 18).

What exactly is Paul saying here in our text?

To understand this perfectly, we need to follow his line of thought all through.

He starts by reemphasizing his apostleship in the body of Christ in general and over them in particular, as he was the one that brought the gospel to them and established the church there.

2 Corinthians 3:1–18(KJV)

1 - Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?

2 - Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:

He goes further to stress that this life they had been called into by faith in the gospel of Christ is by the influence of the Spirit of God and not like the Old Testament in which the commandments were given on tablets of stone. Here, Paul begins to give the distinction between the Old Testament (Old Covenant) and the gospel of the New Testament (New Covenant).

3 - Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

4 - And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:

5 - Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

6 - Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

So Paul says that what made him and others competent and effective in this New Testament ministry was not anything of themselves but a result of total reliance on God.

“...not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”

Following the flow of thought, we see clearly that Paul is revealing the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament. While the NT entails God's commandment in our hearts by the Spirit in us (Jer. 31:33; Ez. 36:26–27), the OT on the other hand entails the commandments written on tablets of stone (ver. 3); that's why he calls it the letter.

This is similar to what he shared with the church in Rome.

Romans 7:6(KJV)

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

(Note: The letter is the law of the Old Testament. The letter is NOT the Bible.)

So as Paul continues his discourse, we see as he highlights the differences between the OT and the NT.

7 - But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:

8 - How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

He continues his distinguishing explaining that although the Old Testament was glorious, its glory was only temporary. He further explains that the glory of the New Testament is far greater and permanent, and if they are brought side-by-side in comparison, it's as though there was no glory in the Old at all (ver. 10).

9 - For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

10 - For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.

11 - For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

Since we have been brought into such a great covenant that abides forever, we have hope and therefore can be confident.

12 - Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech (confidence):

13 - And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:

In Exodus 34:28–35, Moses had to cover his face with a veil; the reflection of the glory of the Old Testament in his face had to be veiled for the people could not behold it.

14 - But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

15 - But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

As at the time Paul wrote this letter (A.D. 58), Jesus had already established the New Testament in place of the old upon his death and resurrection. But many Jews still clung to the laws of Moses (the Old Testament); many still do today. For anyone that falls into this category, that veil covering the glory of the Old Covenant covers their hearts.

But when a man moves from the Old Covenant into the New by placing his faith in Christ Jesus (that is, by beholding Christ instead of Moses), this veil is taken away. This is salvation.

16 - Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

17 - Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (freedom from the bondage of the Old Covenant).

So far, we have seen Paul show us the difference between the glory of Old Testament and the glory of the New Testament.

He then says,

18 - But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

What happens when we turn away from Moses to behold Jesus? We are conformed into the image of Jesus (like he shared in Rom. 8:29).

“…changed into the same image from glory to glory…”

As we turn from Moses to the Lord (repentance), we are transformed into the image of Jesus FROM THE GLORY OF THE OLD TO THE GLORY OF THE NEW by the Spirit of the Lord.

This is talking about salvation and NOT an ongoing process in the believer in which he is moving from one level of glory into another. This text is talking about something that happens ONCE at the point of salvation.

The next few statement further buttresses this.

2 Corinthians 4:1–6(KJV)

1 - Therefore seeing we have this ministry (the New Testament ministry; ch. 3:6), as we have received mercy, we faint not;

2 - But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

Follow closely.

3 - But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

4 - In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

5 - For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

6 - For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST.

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord…”

Notice that Paul didn't say open faces but open face (singular). It's talking about THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST (ch. 4:6). Unlike Moses whose face had to be veiled and the children of Israel could not behold the glory of the Old (which was temporary), Jesus, in whom the greater glory of the New is revealed does not veil his face. His face is unveiled (open), yet EVERYONE can behold.

In light of context and word order, this verse means, “We all beholding the glory of the Lord with open face,” referring to the face of Jesus and not ours. The context has always been about Jesus (the New Covenant) vs Moses (the Old Covenant).

So our theme text is not talking about believers moving from one level of glory into another. It is rather talking about salvation in which by turning to Jesus, the veil is taken away and we are transformed from the glory of the Old to the glory of the New. (A misplacement of this contextual understanding is what made some other translators to change the tense to the present continuous instead of present, like the KJV.)

So this reality happens ONCE AND FOR ALL. If you are saved, it means you have been transformed into the glory of the New Covenant.

Blessings.

Victor Ibosiola © 2023

An excerpt from Theodicy: A Defence of God’s Nature in the Midst of Evil (2018) and What’s So Great About Christianity? (2021).